


Ink

by orphan_account



Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: Complete AU, Gen, an old dead!fic i wrote on ff.net, i may have been drugged when i came up with it, maybe AO3 can give it new life, slow updates will be hella slow, tense changes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-04
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-24 14:39:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6156869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Half a millennia ago, Pulse, and all of its people, vanished. Cocoon rejoiced - until they learn that Pulse left them an insidious curse as a parting gift. Sergeant Lightning Farron must fight against both time and higher powers to save her sister. Meanwhile, Hope Estheim is having some problems of his own - at the top of the list, he's stuck on Pulse with a girl named Vanille.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. .prologue. ~Photgraphy~

_For almost as long as I can remember, it's just been Claire and I._

_I have vague memories of my mother's hair, pink just a shade or so darker than mine, and of my father's smile, bright against the olive of his skin I wish I had inherited._

_I don't know if Claire remembers much more than me. She's never said so, either way. I don't think she likes talking about them much - not even to me, her sister, the one person in the world she shows the face and true warmth that lies behind that frozen mask of a facade she insists on wearing._

_It’s not like we have any pictures of them around to keep them in our memories, anyway_...

 

_Excerpt taken from speech given by His Excellency Galenth Dysley after the Eden Photographer incident_

'Recently, a string of disappearances have plagued the people of Cocoon. It is with great sorrow that I announce to you all that we have discovered the reason that these people have gone missing.'

'The foul Pulsian curse that we, as a people, had thought long gone along with its sub-human people has revealed itself to be still around today. Living within those things we use to capture the world around us - portraits, photographs, videos - the insidious curse waits to strike out at our innocent people.'

'Those captured within these images, and thus within the curse, are dragged into the hellish world the last remnants of Pulse hid themselves away in after Cocoon drove them off centuries ago.'

'For the sake of our people and our world - we must take steps. Until the time comes that the curse has been broken, none may pick up a camera or brush, on pain of Capture.'

 

**[X]**

_"The thirteen days after we awoke, were the beginning of the end." - Oerba Dia Vanille_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary of Terms {Prologue}
> 
>  
> 
> \- Capture/Captured/Capturer: A Capture is what happens when a person is Caught on film and becomes 'Captured,' and presumably sent to Pulse. A Capturer is different to a Photographer in that they are enforcers permitted by the state to wield Cameras in order to Capture Photographers and other criminals.
> 
> \- Cocoon: A world in which technology is favoured over magic. Gradually magic use amongst the populace lessened to the point where, over the generations, each child's magic circuits weakened before being lost completely. For over a millennium the people of Cocoon have been unable to wield magic, which was what led, in part, to the war between Cocoon and Pulse.
> 
> \- Photographer/Photographer incident: Photographer is a term equal to 'murderer,' as to be Captured on film leads to A Fate Worse Than Death. The incident, as it is called, refers to a string of Captures that led to the ban of Cameras.  
> \- Pulse: a 'presumed' former world which favoured magic over technology to the point of scorn. After the war with Cocoon, Pulse, and its entire people, vanished.


	2. .episode one. ~Chance Encounters~|Farron Sisters [01]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" - Jeremiah 29:11

_Snow...I met him on the streets of Bodhum one day, when I was younger, back when I could still clearly recall my parents faces._

_Claire...no, she was already Lightning back then...didn't approve of Snow, didn't like him at all. Whenever I brought him round she was all animosity and snarls. I'm not entirely sure of the history between the two - I know that they had met at least once before I introduced them, if Claire's reaction was anything to go by._

_And Snow...he just smiled, and said, "Hey, sis."_

_I've never seen Claire punch someone so hard_...

[X]

My eyes opened to the grey light of pre-dawn.

I had always been an early riser, but this was ridiculous, even for me. I closed my eyes once again and let out a sigh. I wasn't getting back to sleep, not now, unfortunately.

Even though it was some ungodly hour of the morning, sounds more suited to the city at noon were flooding in through the admittedly thin outer walls of my house.

Of course. Preparations for the fireworks and the festival. All of Bodhum was pitching in to help in their own way.

Soft padding sounds drew my attention.

"Claire?" Serah's soft voice floated in from the hallway. "I thought I could hear movement. You awake?"

Serah - my sister, my best friend. She no longer lived with me, having moved into her own apartment further into Bodhum proper, but she still had her own room in this house that, though I technically owned it, could never consider truly my own; and she spent as much time here as she could when I was off work. That big oaf of hers, Snow Villiers, would probably be here soon to pick her up...though she had been reluctant to see him, of late, which gave me hope.

...though, she had also been reluctant to see me - or anyone - of late, or even to leave the house.

Hopefully, whatever was bothering her would be resolved soon.

"Serah," I answered. "Yes, I'm awake."

Silence, and then a deep sigh, came from outside my door. "I...breakfast is ready," she said.

I blinked, pushing myself up onto my elbows as I stared at the door as if I could see through it to my sister. "So early?" I asked incredulously.

"Ah...I was going to go for a walk, but then I heard you wake up, so I thought I'd see if you wanted something to eat. Claire...I think we need to talk."

I narrowed my eyes. Snow and his gang of buffoons joked that when I did so I 'had just gotten Serious,' and I hated to admit it, but it wasn't too far from the truth. Among the Guardian Corp. it was called the 'Medusa Stare' referring to an ancient mythological figure. It was a trick some of the female Lieutenants had taught to me when I was going through training. It was kept strictly among the ranks of the Guardian Corp. and revealed only to certain people...as it was far more than just a surprisingly effective stare; when pulled off correctly, it had a slight geas to 'freeze and be silent' buried within the stare - which teetered on the edge of magic.

I...had never thought I'd turn it against Serah. But my instincts were telling me this talk would be a tense one - and it was better to be safe, rather than sorry.

-x-

The breakfast Serah had laid out on the table downstairs was a simple affair - buttered toast and bowls of cubed melons. I pulled out my usual chair and reached over to dish myself a plate.

Serah slid into the table across from me and sent me a smile. It seemed...hesitant, maybe even wary, but no less brilliant for that fact.

Serah and I had always been near identical - we both strongly took after our mother. Over time, though, my features had...hardened, I suppose, while hers stayed gentle and open. Her eyes were welcoming pools. Mine were blocks of solid ice. Her lips were always tilted upwards, if only slightly. Mine seemed to be fixed in a permanent line.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked as I spooned melon onto my toast. "It must be important if you have to say it this early."

"Ha ha..." Serah laughed nervously and ran a hand through her hair - a habit I'm sure she picked up from Snow. "Well, I was going to say that I'm going to be staying with Snow for a while."

My hand, holding my toast, froze halfway to my face. "What?"

Serah winced, and I couldn't blame her. My voice had been both cutting and cold, like ice, like my eyes.

"Well with the festival coming up, Lebreau will need help...don't worry though, we'll still be coming over for your birthday!" On these last words some of that anxiety she had been exuding lessened as she spoke earnestly, probably scared I was hurt over her leaving me in favour of that blonde gorilla so close to my, ahem, 'special day.'

"You're an adult, Serah," I told her, setting my toast back down on the plate, no longer wanting to eat it. My eyes were not the only things that had gone cold, and I had lost my appetite. "It's not like I can tell you what to do."

She winced and stared down at her empty plate. She hadn't eaten while we sat here, so either she had eaten before coming up to my room or she, too, had lost her appetite.

I shut my eyes briefly as pain began to pound in my temples and resisted the urge pinch the bridge of my nose. I wasn't entirely sure of what, exactly, was going on with my sister lately, and while normally I would have outright demanded that she tell me what was going on, she had seemed so...fragile, lately that I didn't want to push her for fear that whatever painful burden she had hoisted upon herself would grow to heavy, and she would break.

Best to just keep quiet, no matter how painful or frustrating.

I pushed back from the table, taking my plate with me in one hand and pushing the chair in. Serah's eyes filled with a mix of relief and alarm. "Claire?" she said.

Her voice held a tremor that made me waver for a second. "I have to leave," I forced the automatic desire to obey my sister's unspoke wish down. "You can stay a bit longer if you lock up once you leave."

I could feel Serah's disappointment radiating from behind me as I scraped the wasted food into the bin and rinsed off my plate before placing it in the sink. "I probably won't see you again until my birthday, so be careful going around town, okay?" I called over my shoulder. "And call in every night."

"Yes, mother." Serah was pouting. "Can't you even stay for coffee?"

Ah, coffee. My sister definitely knew how to tempt me, but I had made up my mind to leave before the temptation to question her until she spilled everything she was keeping hidden to me and nothing could turn me from my path now. Out loud, I opted for, "I'll just be taking a shower and then leaving. If you pour me a travel mug while I get ready, I would be grateful."

"Okay," Serah spoke softly. I turned to face her and froze briefly when I saw her sitting with her eyes closed, head tilted back and a faint and bitter smile on lips as tears slowly traced down her face. "Flat white, yeah?"

"Serah...are you...okay?"

Her eyes opened as she turned to face me, and though her smile grew larger, it did not grow any happier. "I'm fine, Lightning," she whispered. "Go have your shower. Don't worry about me."

I completely disregarded that last piece she had spoken - she was Serah, I would worry about her getting a papercut - but though it made me feel awful and cruel, I slowly, hesitantly, made my way out of the kitchen and upstairs towards my bathroom, where I could shower.

I kept my eyes on Serah until I couldn't any longer.

She didn't move once.

And once I was standing under the hot water of my shower, it turned to ice on my skin as I realised what she had called me.

-x-

Serah felt that she couldn't breathe properly until Claire had left the room. As it was, she still didn't relax fully until she heard the shower turn on.

She slumped in her chair, and pressed a shaky hand to her mouth, trying to hold back a muffled sob.

It didn't work. Choking gasps blocked up her airways and uncomfortably hot tears poured from her eyes.

Ever since...that day, last week...it had been harder and harder to keep her concentration, to remember things, to keep her emotion under control, and it was Snow and Claire who were suffering the most for it. Claire had been so hesitant around her lately - and not like normal. Serah knew better than anyone just how kind and gentle her sister could be, but recently she had become subdued, and compared to her normal personality, almost as much as Serah herself. Serah knew that this was her fault.

And as for Snow...she had somehow managed to avoid him for a week - Claire's presence warding him off, most likely, rather than anything she herself had done.

But she couldn't hold this off any longer. Serah had hoped that it would disappear, that it would go away, but it was now blatantly clear that that wasn't going to happen. Serah no longer had any choice. She had to say her goodbyes, soften the blow as much as she could, and then let the chips fall where they may.

Upstairs, the sound of running water turned off. Claire had undoubtedly showered as fast as she possibly could out of concern for Serah.

Her eyes cleared as the tears suddenly stopped falling and for one frantic second panic overwhelmed her and her mind turned into a blur of colours.

She shakily pushed herself up from the table and nearly tripped as she ran straight for the door.

And then she was in the open air, and soon she was leaving Claire's house far behind her, and the further she got, the more her panic lessened.

It was then that she ran straight into a surprisingly solid person, bounced back, and hit the ground sprawling.

"Ouch..." the voice came from above, from the person - girl - she had run into, and was strangely accented. Serah squinted through pain and tear clouded eyes at the girl who stood before her. For a second, she crazily thought that somehow Claire had managed to catch her, but then her brain cleared a bit and she saw that the girl was younger, with hair that, while pink, was both deeper and brighter, and was also wearing some of the strangest clothing Serah had ever seen.

"Oh!" The girl brought a hand to her mouth as if trying to forcibly hold back a string of concerned questions. Her eyes were wide with panic equal to Serah's own as she stared down.

"Are you okay?" Serah asked the girl, after a minute of lying on the ground, partway frozen as the girl stared at her.

The girl jumped slightly at her voice and shook her head, not as if saying 'no,' but as if she was shaking distracting thoughts out of her head so she could focus. "I'm fine!" She said brightly.

Serah managed a faint, shaky smile as she pushed herself up, aware that Claire could turn around the corner and see her any minute. "And I'm fine, too," she said as she straightened, making sure there was just enough of an edge in her voice that the girl could understand her underlying message.

The girl understood, blushing in embarrassment and letting out a nervous laugh as she crossed her hands over her chest, fingers making a strange interlocking symbol, and bowing. "Sorry!" She said. "I should have been watching where I was going." The girl straightened back up. "I'm Vanille!" She introduced herself with a cheerful wave.

Serah's brain was active enough to wave back and give Vanille her own name and a smile, but a large portion of her mind was occupied with figuring out what, exactly, that strange action Vanille had done was.

And what, exactly, it had to do with Pulse, because the moment she had registered what she had seen, the mark on her upper arm had burned fiercely, searing her past her marrow and down into her spirit.

-x-

When I came downstairs, Serah was gone.

Panic overtook me for a moment as I took in the state of disarray my house was in. Had someone broken in and abducted my sister?

Before that thought had even come fully into my mind I realised two things. First, that was entirely ridiculous. Serah may not be a fighter, but she knew how to defend herself, she knew where I kept my Sanctum issue Camera as well as my more mundane weapons, and she knew better than to keep quiet while being attacked when backup would come if you made just the slightest noise. And second, after looking over the room closely, it was very clear, at least to me, that Serah had somehow caused this damage herself.

It was confusing, to say the least.

Bewildered, I walked over to my dining set and picked up the chair Serah had been sitting at before placing it neatly in its proper position. She had pushed herself away from the table with incredible force and speed - more than I had figured my sister ever having - and ran straight to the door.

Literally, straight to the door, paying no mind to the furniture in her path in her singlemindedness to...get out of my house? Get to Snow?

...to...get away from me?

I shook my head and forced that thought from my mind.

At that moment, a knock sounded on my door.

"Serah!" The voice of a familiar blonde gorilla was muffled through the thick wood of the door. "You said you wanted to see me, right? I've been worried."

My lips curled up at the corners slightly. Not a smile - not truly - but it was probably the happiest expression I'd had on my face in a while.

My favourite punching bag. Perfect.

[X]

_"It hurt too much. I couldn't face it." - Lightning Farron_


End file.
